Episode 57: Primal Scream’s “Screamadelica” (1991)

Summary

Accelerated Culture Podcast: Episode 57 Summary Primal Scream’s “Screamadelica” (1991)
Release Date: January 4, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 57 of the Accelerated Culture podcast, hosts Lori and Scott Free embark on an in-depth exploration of Primal Scream’s seminal 1991 album, "Screamadelica." Celebrated as a pivotal work in the evolution of alternative music, the episode delves into the album’s creation, its musical diversity, and its lasting impact on the music scene of the early '90s and beyond.

Background and Origins of Primal Scream

[05:00] The episode begins by tracing the origins of Primal Scream, highlighting Bobby Gillespie’s journey from the streets of Glasgow to becoming the frontman of the band. Lori references three key sources for her research: Music Myths and Misbehavior of Primal Scream by Chris Neatz, Tenement Kid from the Streets of Glasgow in the 1960s by Bobby Gillespie and Alan McGee, and The Story of Creation Records by Paulo Hewitt.

Primal Scream was initially an indie pop band characterized by jangly guitars and melodic tunes, fitting into the vibrant indie pop scene of the mid-1980s alongside bands like The Smiths and The Go-Betweens. Their early work, including the debut single “Velocity Girl” ([04:39]), showcased a lighter, more melodic sound before evolving into a harder blues rock direction with their 1989 self-titled album.

The Album "Screamadelica"

Production and Title

The transformation into "Screamadelica" was significantly influenced by the burgeoning acid house scene. Bobby Gillespie’s exposure to rave culture and ecstasy led the band to experiment with psychedelic and dance-oriented sounds. [13:40] Lori explains that in Hackney, Primal Scream built a simple recording studio and began crafting the "Screamadelica" demos using an Akai S1000 sampler, marking their foray into sampling and electronic music.

The album title, "Screamadelica," was inspired by Dr. Arthur Janov’s primal scream therapy and Funkadelic’s “One Nation Under a Groove.” According to Scott Free, [16:24] the title embodies the album’s psychedelic and rebellious spirit.

Notable Quote:
Lori: "The band deliberately did not put any writing on the cover, not even the band name, to make it mysterious, focusing solely on the music.” [17:12]

Track-by-Track Analysis

1. Moving on Up
   [20:33] This opening track sets a jubilant tone with its gospel choir and driving rhythm. Produced by Jimmy Miller, the song blends rock influences reminiscent of The Rolling Stones with danceable beats. Bobby Gillespie describes it as a “hymn for the desolate, lost, angry, confused, self-hating people of the world” ([25:08]).

   Notable Quote:
   Scott Free: "This is a perfect song made to inspire." [25:10]

2. Slip Inside This House
   [26:48] A cover of the 1960s track by the 13th Floor Elevators, this rendition features Denise Johnson on vocals due to Gillespie’s drug-induced collapse during recording ([27:53]). Produced by Andrew Weatherall, the track incorporates samples from Mantronix and Sly and the Family Stone, infusing it with a modern acid house vibe.

   Notable Quote:
   Scott Free: "This track is incredibly 1991 and feels like it belongs on a dance floor in Ibiza." [28:25]

3. Come Together
   [47:55] Originally intended as an acoustic ballad, the UK version, mixed by Weatherall, transforms into a lush orchestral piece with samples from Reverend Jesse Jackson. The U.S. version, mixed by Terry Farley, offers a different take, highlighting the album’s diverse production styles.

   Notable Quote:
   Lori: "The song was re-recorded at Eden Studios with added samples of Star Trek noises and Indonesian gamelan music." [52:44]

4. Damage
   [62:42] Drawing influences from Jimmy Miller’s production and The Rolling Stones, “Damage” features acoustic elements and a minimalist approach, hinting at future directions Primal Scream would explore.

5. Higher Than the Sun
   [69:06] Collaborating with Ja Wobble of Public Image Ltd., this dub symphony revisits the earlier track with an expansive, reimagined sound, emphasizing the band’s ability to evolve through different production lenses.

6. Shine Like Stars
   [73:43] A delicate lullaby inspired by Gillespie’s girlfriend Karen, this track concludes the album on a mellow note, encapsulating the utopian spirit of the acid underground era.

Themes and Influences

Throughout the episode, Lori and Scott discuss the album’s thematic arc, describing it as a "drug-fueled journey" ([77:30]) that mirrors the ecstasy experience. The album combines elements of rock, dance, dub reggae, and ambient music, showcasing Primal Scream’s chameleon-like ability to adapt to various musical influences.

Notable Quote:
Scott Free: "The dance music radio station KISS FM refused to play 'Don't Fight It, Feel It' because Primal Scream was a rock group." [35:57]

Reception and Legacy

"Screamadelica" was a critical success in the UK, hailed as one of the best records of its era. However, it didn’t achieve the same level of recognition in the United States, primarily due to the band’s lack of representation and promotion. Despite this, tracks like "Moving on Up" found their way into the American alternative airplay charts and remain influential.

The album's innovative use of sampling and genre-blending set a precedent for future alternative and electronic music, solidifying Primal Scream’s place in music history.

Notable Quote:
Lori: "Primal Scream just released an album in November of 2024 called 'Come Ahead' and are currently touring to support that." [81:00]

Conclusion and Future Directions

In wrapping up the episode, Lori and Scott reflect on Primal Scream’s enduring influence and the tragic passing of Andrew Weatherall in February 2020. They acknowledge that while the band never reached peak commercial success in the US, their innovative work continues to resonate.

Notable Quote:
Scott Free: "The only guitar sounds there. They do call attention to themselves and remind you that you are listening to a rock band." [61:38]

Looking ahead, the hosts preview the next episode, which will feature R.E.M.'s Out of Time, promising another deep dive into alternative music’s rich history.

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Key Takeaways:

• "Screamadelica" is a landmark album that marries indie pop roots with acid house and dub reggae influences, reflecting the vibrant and experimental spirit of the early '90s.
• Primal Scream’s ability to adapt and experiment with different genres highlights their significance in the alternative music scene.
• Despite limited recognition in the US, the album’s legacy endures, influencing countless artists and shaping the trajectory of alternative and electronic music.

For those who haven’t listened: This episode offers a comprehensive overview of "Screamadelica," providing historical context, detailed track analyses, and insightful commentary on its cultural impact. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to Primal Scream, Lori and Scott’s conversation enriches your understanding of this pivotal album.

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Additional Resources:

• Visit AcceleratedCulturePodcast.com for more episodes.
• Support the podcast on Patreon.

Note: All music clips discussed fall under the Fair Use Doctrine as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act.

Transcript

[Scott Free]

Foreign.

[Lori]

Welcome to the Accelerated Culture Podcast, A sonic journey through the vibrant and revolutionary sounds of the 1980s and 1990s. And now 2024. Webby honoree for best indie podcast. I'm Lori, along with my co host, Scott Free. And in this podcast we explore how new waves stormed the airwaves in the early 80s and and gave way for the rise of alternative music in the 90s. Find us on the [e-mail] hello. Hello and welcome to the Accelerated Culture Podcast, our first episode of 2025.

[Scott Free]

I'm Lori and I am Scot Free.

[Lori]

Happy New Year, Scott.

[Scott Free]

Happy New Year, Laurie. So glad to have 2024 behind us.

[Lori]

It really was quite a year, wasn't it?

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah, really, really something else. It had moments and it did see the beginning of this team up between you, Lori, and he's got free, so. So 2024 couldn't be all bad.

[Lori]

All right, well, before we get started, I want to give a shout out to one of our Patreon subscribers, Chris Blair, who responded to our last episode, the White Room by kls. Chris writes, love this album so much. Thanks for the deep dive.

[Scott Free]

Right on. Thank you, Chris. Thanks for listening and thanks for your support. Support.

[Lori]

If you're looking for a way to support us, if you really appreciate what we do, we've just revised our tiers on Patreon, so you can go to patreon.com acceleratedculturepodcast we have three different tiers that you can subscribe and we've got some new cool swag coming in, so check it out and you can contribute as little as five bucks a month and we'll love you for it. And if you can't contribute, then just help us spread the word online. You know, give our podcast a, like, drop a couple reviews that helps get us out there. So thank you.

[Scott Free]

And we are out there.

[Lori]

We are definitely out there. And so is this album.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah. Oh, man. So this album was, I am happy to say, my pick. And it is quite a journey. Many people know Primal Scream, a delica from the big single that opens the album. And many people, I think, were surprised when they bought this record having heard that first opening track, to then find a lot of very different stuff going on inside. Not exactly a bait and switch, but very much a product of its time. And there were a few distinct musical directions going on in 1991, and this album pursues several of them to great effect.

[Lori]

Now, I actually was not familiar with this album when you suggested it. I knew one song quite well, then it turns out I actually knew a second one. I didn't realize it was by Primal Scream, but this was new to me, most of it, yeah.

[Scott Free]

And it is massive in the uk. Like, this album is regularly cited as one of the best records of its era. And that was an era where there was a lot going on in dance oriented rock. A couple albums of which we have already talked about on this podcast, but this one is regularly cited as among the very best. It just didn't quite land in the US aside from a big single or two, and that is a shame.

[Lori]

Part of the reason that I think it didn't land is the band never actually had any proper representation in the United States. So there was really no promotion going on over here.

[Scott Free]

And that gets to the origins of this band. They were at their beginnings, a very proudly indie pop band. And the indie part just ain't a cute description of a style. It is an independent band producing and releasing music independently, at least at the beginning.

[Lori]

I'm going to start off by citing my sources. I actually referred to three different books while I was researching this. I've been very busy on my break. The first one is called the the Music Myths and Misbehavior of Primal Scream by Chris Neatz. Tenement kid from the streets of Glasgow in the 1960s to drummer in Jesus and Mary Chain and frontman in Primal Scream by Bobby Gillespie and Alan McGee. And the story of Creation Records by Paulo Hewitt. All right, so I've been hitting the.

[Scott Free]

Books, you know, I've been hitting the websites a little bit more lazily. I'll tell you when I am just going from the Wikipedia. There's also a couple articles from the Guardian, as well as a blog post from Sun13.com, an article by a guy named Banjo. We'll talk about that when we get to it.

[Lori]

Okay. Well, some people, including author Chris Needs, have compared Primal screen to a 90s equivalent of the Clash. And that's actually appropriate because it was the Clash who initially inspired Bobby Gillespie to form a band. He's from Scotland, so in 82 he formed a band called Primal Scream with someone named Jim Beatty, who was his best friend at the time.

[Scott Free]

Guitar player, right?

[Lori]

Yes, correct. The first song they played together was Heroin by the Velvet Underground, which was another band that was really a huge influence on Bobby Gillespie. Bobby would later tell Sounds magazine, it wasn't music, it was just smashing stuff up and screaming with guitars. The name Primal Scream. Scott, I'm sure you've heard of Primal Screen therapy. It comes From a book, a 1970 book by Dr. Arthur Janov. Primal screen therapy is an approach where individuals express repressed emotions and trauma through intense vocalized screening to achieve emotional release and healing.

[Scott Free]

You know, I've been practicing primal scream therapy without really knowing anything about it on the semi regular. Just, you know, going into the basement, letting it loose.

[Lori]

It's cathartic, right? It's cathartic.

[Scott Free]

But enough about my life.

[Lori]

So Bobby was longtime friends with Alan McGee, who we've talked about in previous episodes. We Talked about Alan McGee in our episode about My Bloody Valentine. He's the co founder of creation records. In 84, Bobby had heard about a punk band called Daisy Chain, later to become the Jesus and Mary Chain. Bobby passed along a cassette tape of their music to Alan at Creation Records, who signed them to his label and released their first single, Upside Down. Primal Scream would open for Jesus and Mary Chain in Glasgow on October 11, 1984 and this was their first proper show. Gillespie continued to play with Jim in Primal Scream. However, the drummer from Jesus and Mary Jane quit. And so Bobby began playing drums for them on a semi permanent basis. Sometimes he would play with Primal Scream and then he'd go back onto the stage to play with Jesus and Mary Jane.

[Scott Free]

And he was actually the drummer on the Jesus and Mary Chains debut record, Psycho Candy. An absolutely astoundingly great debut. If you don't know that one, pick it up and give it a listen. Not you. You do Accelerated Culture Warriors.

[Lori]

And Scott, you know how much I love Jesus and Mary Chain. You know my I. I absolutely adore them. So Bobby continued to tour with Jesus and Mary Chain and with Primal Scream. But after the Jesus and Mary Chain tour In February of 1986, William and Jim Reed, who are Jesus and Mary Chain Reed brothers. The Reed brothers asked Bobby to quit Primal Scream and become their full time drummer. But instead he decided that he was a better songwriter than he was a drummer. And so he quit Jesus and Mary Chain. Bobby would later tell Record Collector magazine, quote, the Mary Chain is Jim and Williams band. And I knew I could express myself better in Primal Scream.

[Scott Free]

Oh yeah, I gotta think you're not getting a whole lot of songs past the Reed brothers. Whereas in Primal Scream he is the primary force. Tough choice to have to make. Kind of a win win either. Either way you go, you're coming out a winner. Although you couldn't know that in 1985.

[Lori]

Yeah, and I'm sure people thought he was nuts, right? But yeah.

[Scott Free]

So at that point, 1985, Bobby Gillespie leaves Jesus And Mary Chain dedicates himself to Primal Scream full time. So this is indie pop music. It's not just an aesthetic label. These are independent artists producing and releasing music independently. And pop is. It's guitar rock, but pop fair. Think jangly guitars, think lighter melodies if not lyrical content. Among the big names you hear associated with this movement, the Smiths, who are obviously titans of indie pop. Less lightweight in the lyrical content, but that jangly Johnny Marr guitar sound. You also hear the go betweens and beat happening and the television personalities. So this indie pop scene really comes into focus in 1986 with the release of NME's Sampler Cassette C86, a sampler of bands on British independent record labels at that time. Primal Screams track Velocity Girl was the tape's opener. And it is a short little pop trifle coming in at a minute and and 21 seconds. It's brief even for a pop song. Listening to Velocity Girl, you can really hear how far the band came to become what we hear on Screlica in 1986. It's like I said, a jangly pop rock band. Gillespie's voice is not really containing so much self seriousness. Think more like the house Mars, light, jangly, melodic, nice, but maybe lacking gravity. So Velocity Girl is their debut single. Their debut album in 1987 is Sonic Flower Groove. From the title alone you can tell that they're not going for particularly hard hitting rock. Again jangly pop rock. They were highly influenced by the Birds. You know them from among others, Turn, Turn, Turn to Every Time There Is A Season and all that. By 1989 they had gone considerably harder and their self titled album, Primal Scream. I could have just gone with self titled, but Here We Are, 1989, their sophomore album took a turn into much harder blues rock. Think more like the MC5, the Stooges and Johnny Thunders and of course the Rolling Stones. But this album was hard even for that. The album did not sell much, but one track, I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever had, had significant potential. We'll get to that later.

[Lori]

After that first album, Sonic Flower Groove, Jim Beatty quit the band because it just got such lousy, lousy reviews. There was kind of for a little while there, there were some people that were coming and going out of the band.

[Scott Free]

The old revolving door, yes.

[Lori]

By the time they get to 1990 and start recording their third album, Scream a Delica, the band consisted of Gillespie, who was the lead singer and songwriter, his old friend Andrew Innes on guitar, another guitarist named Robert Young, whose nickname was Throb because I guess of his alleged prowess with the ladies. Martin Duffy on keyboards and piano, he was originally with a band called Felt. Then we have Henry Olson on bass and Toby Tomerov on drums and percussion. Another significant change that happened around this time the the band members, especially Bobby, were introduced by Alan McGee to the acid house scene.

[Scott Free]

Oh yeah. So two things of note. One, a track, as I mentioned, from the self titled 1989 album I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever have gets picked up by a DJ who does a remix of it that takes on a life of its own. And that DJ is Andrew Wetherall who was a DJ and producer. His first studio work was along with Paul Oakenfold on the club remix of the Happy Mondays. Hallelujah.

[Lori]

According to the bios that I've been reading, the band members switched from speed to ecstasy and they began exploring new psychedelic inspired sounds. They bought an eight track mixing desk and built a simple recording studio in Hackney. And this is where they began recording some demos that would later become Screama Delica. They used an Akai S1000 sampler which we're going to be talking about as we listen to some of these tracks.

[Scott Free]

Noted this was not an easy sell, at least not at first, for Gillespie in particular. I did mention a blog post by a guy named Banjo on sun13.com in his post Primal screams scream a Delica turns 25. Don't fight it, Feel it. He makes a couple excellent points. It's a great quote here. Primal Screams record label boss Alan McGee chronicles his own Road to Damascus conversion to dance music in his excellent book Creation Stories. We're going references within references, nesting them. It's references all the way down. In one memorable chapter, he recalls taking a cynical and resistant Bobby Gillespie to his first rave and supplying him with ecstasy for the first time. The effect was instant and unalterable. Bobby Gillespie fell in love with Acid house culture. Gillespie got it. McGee later said by about June he thought he'd invented Acid house.

[Lori]

So as I mentioned, in Hackney, in the studio that they put together, they began recording the Screama Delica demos. Halfway through the recording, the sound engineer Colin Ledgett said how excited he was. He couldn't wait to mix the songs they were recording. And it fell to Bobby Gillespie to tell him that they had something else in mind, that he wasn't going to be mixing the songs. And so the engineer quit. They replaced him with Hugo Nicholson.

[Scott Free]

Oh well, there we are. His name appears throughout this album.

[Lori]

Let's talk a little bit about the album title.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, I'm into it.

[Lori]

Okay. Well, they were looking for a title as good as Funkadelic's One Nation Under a Groove. There are differing stories as to who came up with what, but apparently somebody in the band blurted out Screamadelic and then somebody else said Screama Delica and it stuck. The band also wrote a song called Screama Delica, but it never made it onto the album.

[Scott Free]

I would love to hear how that one turned out. Not a huge jump from Funkadelic to Scream a Delica. Seems like the One Nation Under a Groove middle step. Entirely unnecessary.

[Lori]

So then they brought in Paul Cannell to do the album cover as well as the sleeves for the singles.

[Scott Free]

Absolutely iconic. The album cover. Even if you don't know it, you probably know it. It's immediately recognizable.

[Lori]

Yeah. The primary colors, the childlike looking sun drawing.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. I mean, it feels like a Miro painting.

[Lori]

Yeah. Paul Cannell actually had a studio in Creation Records building. He'd done some other artwork for them previously. Bobby wouldn't let Paul hear any of the songs because he didn't want the covers to be literal interpretations of the songs. So he just gave him the titles and said, go for it.

[Scott Free]

Higher Than the Sun, I suppose, is the one that he ran with.

[Lori]

Oh, I guess so. I mean, Bobby had asked Paul Cannell about his creative process, and according to Bobby, he told me he would take magic mushrooms and shoot up smack to get him in the mood for painting these psychedelic tableaus.

[Scott Free]

Idz. This is just how his process worked. Don't do mushrooms and smack and paint. It's not necessary. Don't do drugs. Stay in school. My nephews have started listening to the podcast, so I feel like it's necessary for me to say, hey, Rafe. Hey, Gabe. Don't do drugs. Stay in school.

[Lori]

Drugs are bad.

[Scott Free]

You shouldn't do drugs. Okay.

[Lori]

Anyway, the band deliberately did not put any writing on the COVID not even the band name quote, so it would look mysterious, like a Factory record or a Zeppelin record, so that it was all about the music. I didn't want anything to spoil Canel's wonderful damaged son. That was Bobby Gillespie. Again.

[Scott Free]

It worked. I gotta tell you, this is not a plug. I am not being paid for this. However, if you go to primalscream.net and to the merch section, it is all Scream Adelica stuff. The red T shirt with that sun on it. I'm probably going to be buying one of those for myself. Iconic.

[Lori]

Okay, so before we get into the track by track, I want to talk a little bit about the album sequencing that was done by the guitarist Andrew Innes. He sequenced the songs in such a way that it would be the soundtrack to a kid going out on the weekend. So it had peaks and troughs, just like a drug trip.

[Scott Free]

It is a wild ride that Andrew Innis takes you on. And if you pay attention, as we're talking through the deep dive track by track, just the song titles alone are going to take you a long way on that journey. But we'll get into it a little more a little later. Well, that gets you all the background you really need on the band, because everything that came before Scream Adelica really doesn't sound anything like Screama Delica. Let's get into it. Let's do the track by track. Track one is Moving on up.

Now I can see you made a believer I don't met I was blind Now I can see you made a believer I don't know. I'm moving on up now Getting out of the darkness.

Okay, so this is the song you've probably heard off of this album. And I understand that you, Laurie, although you didn't know the album, did know the song, but you did not know that it was Primal Scream.

[Lori]

Correct. I actually thought it was a remake of a Rolling Stone song.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, it sounds a lot like the Rolling Stones. And you know, that tracks. It was actually produced by Jimmy Miller, the producer who did the Rolling Stones classic albums Let It Bleed and Beggar's Banquet. So if you're thinking that era, think Give me Shelter, Monkey man, you can't always get what you want and Sympathy for the Devil and, you know, with the percussion, with the piano, with the huge almost gospel chorus. This is. Oh, it's a Rolling Stone song. It would not be surprising if you thought that as you did the other one that it sounds so much like is Stephen Stills. Love the one you're with.

[Lori]

Oh, yes.

[Scott Free]

Like that rhythm, that gospel choir with the piano. The piano. The whole thing. Yeah, the strummed guitar, the bongos. It. I mean, it sounds so much like it that you could be fooled hearing this single on the radio or in the club, in thinking that that's what you're going to be getting with this album. Classic rock, inspired pop rock. And a lot of people did think that and bought this album and got something very different as you get deeper into it. Some were probably disappointed they were wrong. This is better. If you really want to hear the Rolling Stones in their prime, go listen to the Rolling Stones in their prime. This was a new era. This is the 90s. This was the acid culture and Madchester era. Dance rock was really ascending, as we've seen in multiple episodes of this podcast. And this was the important sound of the time. So, yeah, yeah.

[Lori]

I mean, at this point in time, there was definitely a resurgence of like hippie fashion and psychedelic music and stuff like that. And this fits in very neatly with that.

[Scott Free]

Absolutely.

[Lori]

Bobby Gillespie and Andrew Innes wrote the song together in the Hackney studio on the piano, and they had the verse and chorus parts down and then they played it to Throb. He had an idea, went to the piano and banged out the middle eight. My Light Shines on section. And then that became the song's coda. But it was still missing something. It still sounded very flat. And so Throb went away and came back with a Bo Diddley type rhythm on his acoustic guitar. And then Bobby said, that's it. That's a rock song.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. And once they had that down, they knew that this was going to be the album opener. Like, this is a huge opening track and again, it's a bit of a bait and switch, but just so strong. It's such a joyous opening to the album.

[Lori]

Yes. So they are backed up by a full gospel choir. The gospel singers are Lawrence John, Faye Simpson, Sarah and Nikki Brown of the London Community Gospel Choir. Now, Bobby Gillespie has said it was influenced by the end section of We Are Family by Sister Sledge in the way that it builds.

[Scott Free]

Oh, I'll believe it.

[Lori]

Yeah. Before I go into the lyrics, you have anything else about the music?

[Scott Free]

No, I want to hear about the lyrics.

[Lori]

Okay. Well, according to Bobby in his memoir, Moving on up is a song about struggle and redemption. It was written as a universal song of courage in the face of adversity. A hymn for the desolate, lost, angry, confused, self hating people of the world. I should know because I was one of them. It's a hymn to the transcendent, healing, life affirming power of community I found in rock and roll and acid house. There you go.

[Scott Free]

I love it. Yeah, yeah. You can feel it like it's a song made to inspire. And if nothing else, that gospel choir will do it. But really, everything in this track works together to give that really uplifting feeling that also makes you want to shake your ass on a dance floor.

[Lori]

Yes, definitely. And we're going to hear from that gospel choir again later on in the album.

[Scott Free]

Yes, we are.

[Lori]

Yes.

[Scott Free]

You know, this is again, the track that you are most likely to hear by this band. There's one or two others on this album, but really, this is the one that you still hear on the radio if you do hear Primal Scream here in the States. And it's for good reason. It's. It's a perfect song.

[Lori]

All right, well, so that leads us to track two. Slip Inside this House.

[Scott Free]

To.

[Lori]

This one, Scott, is a cover of a song by a 60s band called 13th Floor Elevators. And it was originally intended for a tribute album. They did rearrange the song. They cut it down to two verses and three bridges, and they also rearranged the chorus and change the lyrics ever so slightly. Instead of Slip inside this house, he's singing Trip inside this house.

[Scott Free]

Oh, nice.

[Lori]

Interestingly, though, this is not Bobby Gillespie on the vocals.

[Scott Free]

Oh, really?

[Lori]

Yes. This is Throb. The constant drug use was finally catching up to Bobby Gillespie. And when they were recording this, he collapsed while he was singing. And he ended up spending two weeks single, sick in bed with headaches, nausea, and basically throwing up bile. He couldn't keep anything down. So Throp stepped in and sang the vocals on this one. And I think he sounds a lot like Shawn Ryder. I think this sounds like a Happy Monday song. And that's not a bad thing.

[Scott Free]

No, no, that's a good company. All right, so the 13th Floor Elevators song is epic in length, 8 minutes, 5 seconds long. In the 1967 13th Floor Elevator version. There are people who bought this album based on Moving on up, who maybe might have known 13th floor elevators and seeing the title, might have thought, okay, we're getting more of this classic rock thing. But while 13th floor elevators were psychedelic rock, acid rock, this track, not at all. This track is, like, incredibly 1991. And you can picture it being played on a dance floor in Ibiza. There's that percussion loop sample that's a sampled and slowed down beat from King of the Beats by Mantronics from 1988, which itself sampled, like, 14 other songs, so who knows how deep that goes? There's a Sly in the Family Stone vocal sample that.

[Lori]

Yeah, it's from Sex Machine.

[Scott Free]

From Sex Machine, yes. Very good. And then also a drum sample from Ice Cube rolling with the Lynch Mob off of 1990s America's Most Wanted, which is a freaking amazing album, by the way. Possibly the best gangster rap album from the golden age of hip hop. If you like hip hop at all and you don't already know America's Most Wanted, do yourself a favor, pick up that Cube album.

[Lori]

Speaking of samples.

[Scott Free]

Yes.

[Lori]

Bobby Gillespie credits this song in particular with introducing the Screen to using the sampler. This was like the first time. They really did. Yes.

[Scott Free]

And they went for it.

[Lori]

Yeah, they did. They did. There's definitely a sitar in there somewhere. I definitely hear a sitar.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah. Sitar gives this already pretty acid infused dance rock track an even more psychedelic, groovy feel. Yeah, it all really comes together on this track.

[Lori]

Yeah. I love the trippy beat that it starts off with and then that base, that funky bass.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah.

[Lori]

Then there's a piano break and it's not a house music break, it's a reggae beat with space noises. So there's some elements of like dub reggae in there.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. And you know you're going to get a lot more of that on this album. Maybe not reggae beats necessarily, but dub reggae production techniques. Curiously, this track was produced by Hypnotone Andrew Innes, with additional production by Andrew Weatherall.

[Lori]

Hypnotone is Tony Martin.

[Scott Free]

Tony Martin.

[Lori]

All right. Yep.

[Scott Free]

So different production team, the first two tracks. And we'll get yet another one on the third track when it all kind of settles into a groove to the rest of the album. That third track, don't fight it, feel it.

Mind getting happy, getting gone Going to dance to the music all night long Getting up, getting down.

All right. This is produced by the production team who is there for most of the rest of the album. Andrew Weatherall, who we mentioned as the guy who remixed the track. I'm losing more than I'll ever have. So he was the guy who kind of pulled the primal screen boys into dance music and to great effect. So produced by Andrew Wetherall and Hugo Nicholson. In fact, unless we say otherwise for the rest of the album, all the rest of the tracks are going to be produced by that duo.

[Lori]

The song was originally titled Scat and It lasted for 17 minutes.

[Scott Free]

Dear Lord, by the way, at 6:53 it ain't short as it is, but 17 minutes could be argued to be too long. Save it for the 12 inches, my friends.

[Lori]

Bobby Gillespie said, we realized that there was a direct lineage between Chicago and Detroit house music and the classic soul we loved. House was modern contemporary soul. So we set out to write a modern electronic soul classic.

[Scott Free]

Nailed it. You know, the one thing I would say about this track I have in my notes. And now the dance floor at the Hacienda really heats up. This is made for a dance floor at 118 beats per minute. And you know, there's some aspects of this song. I mean, there's that chirping sound you'd Think that it could get annoying. And it does. And then it goes away and you're kind of like, hey, where'd the chirping sound go? And then it comes back and you're like, oh, yeah. And it, like, provides this weird recurring thread to the song.

[Lori]

I really like that chirping sound.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah, yeah. The song is also notable for, among other things, no Bobby Gillespie vocals.

[Lori]

Yeah, so this is the second one in a row that does not have Bobby Gillespie vocals. And, you know, I didn't really know much about Primal Scream or Bobby Gillespie before we started researching this episode. And I came to realize, and I have a respect for him now because a lot of singers, I think being the frontman, it's a matter of ego. You know, I'm the singer, I'm going to sing it.

[Scott Free]

But singer, songwriter, for that matter.

[Lori]

True, very true.

[Scott Free]

Try to wrest that control from them. Not easy in most bands.

[Lori]

Right. And you would know because you're a singer. But no. Bobby had initially tried to sing the vocal, but he. He decided that his voice wasn't really suited for it. It was too high for him. So he called up Denise Johnson, who was the lead singer of a Manchester band called the Joy. Now, we've mentioned Denise once before when we were doing our episode on electronic, because she did the very powerful, soulful backing vocals on get the Message.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah, yeah. So it's all coming together.

[Lori]

Yeah, it is. Come together. Wait, that's. That's.

[Scott Free]

No, that's Crack six. You're gonna have to wait for that.

[Lori]

Okay. All right. So they wanted this to be the follow up single to their first single on the album Come Together, but Allen and Creation Records thought it was too out there. It was finally released as a single in August of 1991, and it became a dance floor smash.

[Scott Free]

It would have to. It's like I said, it's made for dance floors and it is a banger.

[Lori]

However, dance music radio station KISS FM refused to play it because Primal Scream was a rock group.

[Scott Free]

Oh, interesting.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

Can't appreciate the crossover, huh? I was going to say, I thought they wouldn't play it because of the lyrical content. I mean, they just really are just laying it out there and saying exactly what it's about. Gonna dance to the music all night long Getting high, getting happy Getting gone Gonna dance to the music all night long Getting up, getting down Gonna get it on like, if that isn't the club scene in a nutshell, I don't know what is.

[Lori]

Yeah, well, actually, Bobby Gillespie wrote in his memoir, don't fight it Feel. It is about a kid on the dance floor with ecstasy with their mates. The lights and music are perfect. Everyone has come up on the drug at the same time. The whole club is peaking and is as one. It's about the perfect moment when everything coalesces and you are so happy to be alive. You would do absolutely anything to keep that feeling forever.

[Scott Free]

Gonna live the life I love I'm gonna love the life I live Baby, don't fight the feeling Gonna get high till the day I die don't do.

[Lori]

Drugs Stay in school And Bobby Gillespie said, that's the way we lived our lives back then.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, it does show throughout this album.

[Lori]

Oh, it does, yeah.

[Scott Free]

The drugs didn't make the music great, but they certainly didn't hurt in this era for this album. Yeah, it's working all right. What else is working? Coming in later in the song. Chunky Wah Wah guitar I am never mad about this Love me Chunky Wawa guitar and this one delivers.

[Lori]

And if I'm not mistaken, this is one of only three tracks on the album that has a guitar.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, that was a bit of a sore point for Andrew Ennis, who was considering quitting the band as it was getting sampler heavy and keyboard heavy and drum machine heavy. And there was just nothing for him to do once the track moving on up came together and there was significant guitar work for him to do. Only then did he change his mind and decide to stick with it. And it pays off on a couple other guitar tracks later on the album. It's not a guitar album, but it does have some guitar singles. That's about all we got for that one. Let us move on to track four. What is track four, Laurie?

[Lori]

Higher Than the sun.

[Scott Free]

Taste.

Yes.

[Lori]

Noticing a theme here, Scott?

[Scott Free]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lori]

These.

[Scott Free]

These kids are. These kids are getting high. This track produced notably by the Orb. Regular listeners who listened to our last episode on the KLF's the White Room will know that the Orb in this era was becoming a force in ambient and ambient house music and was co founded by one of the members of the klf. And this really does feel like an Orb track. That's one of the things you can see throughout this album. The band is chameleon like. They will take on the shape and the color and the pattern of whoever's producing them. Not to say that the band isn't a major force in there, but they can transform when produced by the right producer. And this track four, Higher Than the Sun, that's an Orb track. It feels like an orb track. Gillespie said of this one in June of 1991, as quoted in the Guardian. It's like a massive jump onto another planet.

[Lori]

I've got a couple other things that he said about it.

[Scott Free]

Bring em on.

[Lori]

Okay. So he called the song, quote, a declaration of intent, a manifesto.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Lori]

He further said, it's got more in common with free jazz, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman than anything that's gone down in contemporary music in 1991.

[Scott Free]

I will believe that. It's a slow to mid tempo groove. It's chill and cool. The prominent drum loop comes from a 1971 funk Soul jazz track, Wawa man, by Young Holt Unlimited. The groove is almost reggae inspired, if subtly, as is often the case with orb tracks. And then at 1 minute, 50 seconds, that bass growl comes in and that howl vocal howl. And man, it just blows the top of your head off that a track that is that chill and cool can suddenly just wail like that. Amazing stuff.

[Lori]

Now am I hearing a theremin?

[Scott Free]

I think you are. Yeah, yeah, yeah. If not a theorem synth doing a real fine approximation.

[Lori]

Yeah. It definitely adds to like the trippiness of the song. Incidentally, Bobby Gillespie wrote that he was so nervous about singing this song that he had to take some speed to give him the courage to sing it.

[Scott Free]

What people do to calm their nerves is take some speed. But these, these boys were professionals.

[Lori]

Yeah. He explained, I knew it was a very special song. This was exactly what I wanted to say at this point in time about my life. I had delusions of grandeur thinking that so long as I sang this song, well, it didn't matter if I died because this would be my testimony.

[Scott Free]

And you know the lyrics, you can see that's kind of what he's going for. I'm beautiful, I wasn't born to follow I live just for today I don't care about tomorrow what I got in my head you can't buy, steal or borrow. You know, there's some ego there. He is the songwriter and frontman of the band. So you gotta have some ego and some swagger in there. But yeah, he is very confident in his abilities and he ain't wrong. There's one good quote I had from a Guardian article, to borrow a phrase from a Spaceman 3 album title. It's the sound of young men taking drugs to make music, to take drugs to.

[Lori]

No lies detected.

[Scott Free]

No lies.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

And then there is a sax solo. Yeah, sure. It's the 80s, why not? Like, I mean, 1991 was still basically the end of the 80s. So a sax solo. I'm there for it. As we've talked about. I'm a lifelong sax player, so I'm not too mad about that.

[Lori]

All right.

[Scott Free]

All right. That brings us to track five, Inner Flight.

Sa.

So it opens with ambient noise and then churchy choral singing, but like at a kind of weird church. And then a chimy calliope comes in, punctuated by something flying around up and out of your head. Inner flight, indeed.

[Lori]

I know that Bobby Gillespie was inspired by a track called Think from the Superfly soundtrack.

[Scott Free]

Interesting.

[Lori]

Yeah, he said, I decided not to write lyrics for this one, to let the music speak for itself.

[Scott Free]

I think it does that. There are samples to be found here, for sure. The oscillating high pitched synth sounds kind of like an electronic alarm made of crickets. That is actually Brian Eno from the Great Pretender, a track of his from 1974. And then the drums, like the low toms sounding and a hi hat and a really open, hollow sounding snare. That is actually Dr. John from Gree Gree Gumbo Yaya. About the most Dr. Johnest song title ever. And then the woo is CB Cook. Whoa Buck. A 1958 recording of Negro prison songs. So they are all over the board in their sources.

[Lori]

Wow.

[Scott Free]

Yeah.

[Lori]

The result is an instrumental that was described. Described by author Chris Needs as deep sacks, flutes, bells, harpsichord, and a heavenly choir, which Andrew Wetherall and Hugo Nicholson sculpt into a majestic aural massage.

[Scott Free]

Like that? Yeah, yeah. At one point, a synth flute takes the melodic controls and it's like a tranquil trip we're on, but veering ever so slightly into the creepy. And then there's kind of yodeling. Sure, why not?

[Lori]

That's an odd song.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. It feels like on another album it would be an interlude, but here at five minutes and one second, it's a full on song.

[Lori]

Right.

[Scott Free]

It's a weird one, but, you know, I. I admire the experiment. I like it. It's a good headphone listen. For sure.

[Lori]

I'll buy that for a dollar.

[Scott Free]

This podcast thing is really starting to pay off.

[Lori]

All right. Anything else on Inner Flight?

[Scott Free]

Just that it's produced by Andrew Weatherall and Hugo Nicholson.

[Lori]

So it's the next song, Scott.

[Scott Free]

Yeah.

[Lori]

Which is called Come.

[Scott Free]

Won't you to kiss me. Won't you want to kiss me.

[Lori]

Right.

[Scott Free]

Out of this world. True. Don't you tr. I want your attention.

[Lori]

Scott, as we were preparing to record this just a few minutes ago, we realized that you and I had different Versions of this song?

[Scott Free]

Yes.

[Lori]

On the American album release, they put what's called the Farley mix. It was done by a guy named Terry Farley. And it's radically different from the album version in the uk, which was mixed by Andrew Weatherall, which is so good.

[Scott Free]

Though that UK version is so good.

[Lori]

The first thing I noticed immediately is that the UK version begins with some samples from the Reverend Jesse Jackson.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah.

[Lori]

So this song actually started off as a Velvet Underground style acoustic ballad, but Wetherall and Nicholson took the chorus and they backed it with a thumping acid house beat. They used the same gospel choir singers as in track one, so Lawrence, John, Faye Simpson, so Sarah and Nikki Brown. But they did something interesting. They flipped the harmonies so that the women were singing in the lower register and the men were singing the higher parts. And then they had a string quartet playing and they doubled these string tracks to give it a very lush orchestral sound.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, yeah. It was originally released in August of 1990 as a single, well in advance of the album, but that version was a much tighter pop song. The single version featured vocals mostly by Bobby Gillespie. And the album version, they're Gone, man.

[Lori]

And the US single, it was actually released as a double A side with this song and the band's previous single, Loaded. I love the piano on this one and I love the horns. I'm assuming they're sampled horns. I don't think that I actually saw any horn players on the album credits, but that really makes it for me. I don't know if they're on the version that you heard.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, yeah, they are. So this is a mid tempo dub reggae track and it comes by that honestly. The main hook, that reggae groove is from the Dub Station, a track from Tommy McCook and the aggravators from the album King Tubby Meets the Aggravators at Dub Station 1975. So, yeah, they knew exactly what they were doing and they were going to the source for it.

[Lori]

And we mentioned the Aggravators in the KLF episode because the KLF sampled them too.

[Scott Free]

Right on. Okay. So the US album version did not have the Jesse Jackson spoken word vocals, but it's worth hearing. This is some classic Jesse Jackson and it works beautifully on an album of music.

[Lori]

We are together.

[Scott Free]

We are unified and on one accord, because together we have power.

[Lori]

But they don't have this program.

[Scott Free]

You will hear gospel and rhythm and blues and jazz. All those are just labeled.

We know that music is music.

[Lori]

That's missing in the Farley mix. Sorely missing the Farley Mix actually has some samples of Andy McDowell from Sex, Lies and Videotape really come together.

[Scott Free]

Together.

That's beautiful. That's really beautiful.

[Lori]

The other thing I want to note is I'm a big fan of the record label, Cherry Red Records. They keep putting out these four disc compilations of different genres. And they very recently put out a four disc box set called Come Adventures on the indie dance floor 1989-1992. And obviously it was named after this song. And actually that was the first time I'd ever heard this song was on the Cherry Red compilation.

[Scott Free]

Oh, really?

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

Well, that's a good score.

[Lori]

Yeah. Okay, so does that bring us to the next song?

[Scott Free]

That brings us to track seven, loaded.

[Lori]

I'm gonna have a lot to say on this one.

[Scott Free]

Oh, man. Yeah. So a couple times at the beginning of the episode, I mentioned that a track from Primal Screams self titled album was found by one dj, Andrew Weatherall, who remixed it and made it into a single. That track was called I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever have. And he remixed it in the acid house style. Threw a whole bunch of into a musical blender. So the thing that leaps out at you first is the spoken word vocal sample that is taken from Roger Corman film the Wild Angels. And the speaker is Peter Fonda talking about what we, the Wild Angels, want. We want to be free. We want to be free to do what we want to do. And we want to get loaded and so on. And it's a great start for this kind of a dance.

[Lori]

Rave song.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, it's a perfect intro to this style of, let's just be honest, drugged out rave song.

[Lori]

I have a quotation about that from Bobby Gillespie.

[Scott Free]

Bring it on.

[Lori]

Okay, so Bobby said in his memoir, we'd heard dialogue from films used on Acid House and big Audio Dynamite Records and thought it might be a fun thing to do. See, I knew you'd appreciate that.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, I am always a tougher for B A D. And they were, if not pioneers, perfectors of the sample film dialogue as musical element. And it works great there. It works great here.

[Lori]

Now, they didn't realize at the time that Mud Honey, the Seattle grunge band, had used the same sample the year before in the song in and out of Grace, eh?

[Scott Free]

Plenty of room.

[Lori]

Yeah, exactly, exactly. You mentioned that Andrew Weatherall had remixed this song. Actually, he remixed it three times. The first two times he forwarded the remix to Alan McGee at Creation Records. They were looking for something to put on the B side of that track. I'm losing more than I'll ever have Both times. Alan McGee sent it back and said, no, this isn't good enough. So then Andrew Innes, the guitarist, told Weatherall, quote, stop fannying about. You've just got to fucking destroy it. So he basically tore the song apart. And really, the only thing that I think still remains is a little bit of the melody from I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever have. Besides the samples that you mentioned, they brought in the rhythm from an Italian bootleg remix of what I Am by Edie Brickell and New Bohemians.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah. When I read that, I was like, first of all, I freaking love Edie Brickell. And so I was excited to play, find that sample and listen for what I Am. Yeah. No, that was an aggressively remixed Italian white label remix. There's very little of that percussion from the original song to be heard.

[Lori]

Yes. They also sampled a song from 1976 called I Don't Want To Lose youe Love by the Emotions.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah.

[Lori]

Now, this kind of brings us to a very philosophical discussion here. It's like Theseus's paradox. Are you familiar with Theseus's paradox?

[Scott Free]

Oh, the ship of Theseus.

[Lori]

Yes. Yes.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah.

[Lori]

All right. So for our listeners, it's a thought experiment that explores whether an object remains the same if all of its parts are replaced over. So. So Theseus's ship is gradually replaced part by part until eventually all of the planks have been replaced. And then the question is, is it still the original ship at that point?

[Scott Free]

And if someone had collected all of the parts that were being replaced and took the old parts and built the ship from them, which one is the ship of Theseus?

[Lori]

And that's the first thing I thought of when I realized how much, or rather how little of the original track actually remained. Really, it's its own entity. And quite frankly, I think it's. It rightly would be an Andrew Weatherall track. I mean, this was all him.

[Scott Free]

This band really does transform depending on who is in the producer's seat. And, yeah, you're not far off the same way that Higher Than the Sun was essentially an Orb track using Primal Scream as their instruments. Similarly Loaded is kind of an Andrew Weatherall track, using elements of Primal Scream and the history of music before them to create this new work. And it's. It's a great song.

[Lori]

Yeah. This is another one of only three album songs that has a guitar riff.

[Scott Free]

The vocals coming from that I Don't Want To Lose youe Love song by the Emotions. The horns Are doing some real work here, man. It feels like a 60s pop song. Are those horns sampled? I don't have a sense of that.

[Lori]

I think they're sampled from the. I'm losing more than I'll ever have, aren't they?

[Scott Free]

Is that right?

[Lori]

I think so.

[Scott Free]

Stay with me Stay with me Stay with me Stay with me Stay with me Stay with me.

And so those horns are one of the only things left from the earlier Primal Scream song that Andrew Wetherall is aggressively remixing here. I'm losing more than I'll ever have. I don't know. The song is such a deep, layered pastiche of all these wildly different influences, but it comes together to make this like really solid, grooving, mid tempo, chill rave track. But then like with all of that, this huge crunchy guitar chord comes out of nowhere, Almost makes you jump out of your seat. And it's not a particularly complex or deep guitar part, but it's big in its spare simplicity and in being the only guitar sounds there. They do call attention to themselves and remind you that you are listening to a rock band. Even if they have gone deep down this electronic music rabbit hole.

[Lori]

You know, I think the only part of Bobby Gillespie's original vocal that's still in there is that. Oh, yeah, I think. I think that's it. I think that's the only party sings.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, and it's not a problem. Again, he was really involved in the song writing and so if it's not about his vocals, he wasn't mad about it. So.

[Lori]

So this is the song that I think of when I hear Primal Scream.

[Scott Free]

Really?

[Lori]

You know, the first time I heard this song was actually in the Simon Pegg movie the World's End.

[Scott Free]

Oh, nice.

[Lori]

Yes.

[Scott Free]

All right. That's a great song. We can move on.

[Lori]

Yeah, we can, we can move on. The next track is called Damage. Let's listen.

[Scott Free]

Happy My, my, my I was through it all I got damage I lost myself.

[Lori]

All right, so like the previous song, this is one of three album songs that has a guitar riff.

[Scott Free]

It is such sonic whiplash though. Like the electronic mid tempo dance songs, the dub reggae, the orb. That kind of is both of those. And then this Jimmy Miller once again produced. Basically it's a Rolling Stone song.

[Lori]

It reminds me of Wild Horses, which is another one that Jimmy Miller had. Had produced.

[Scott Free]

Absolutely, yeah. You got the acoustic guitar, you got the piano, you've got, if the video to this song is to be believed, a standup bass.

[Lori]

It is. Yeah. Henry Olsen is playing a double bass there we go.

[Scott Free]

In a way, this song feels like a preview of the much more Oasis sounding primal scream that would come out later in the 90s, but in the form of the Rolling Stones. Angie. But you know, new and bi primal screams.

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

And you know that the vocals include the very prominent line, stone in love with you. Well, that cannot be a coincidence.

[Lori]

I didn't even catch that. Bobby has said Damaged is an existential blues of nostalgic sorrow.

[Scott Free]

Man, this guy can really talk about his own music and lyrics.

[Lori]

Well, I mean, he knows it better than anybody, right?

[Scott Free]

I suppose he does lyrically. Already mentioned the stone in love line, but, you know, Damaged is the title of the song and sets the theme for it. There is one quatrain, I believe, that really does kind of distill it down. You were my addiction I got strung out and crazy Hit me like a fever when you left me, baby We've all been there.

[Lori]

Definitely.

[Scott Free]

The music video is an interesting. It's largely musicians in the studio performing, but there are some scenes take place in a tattoo parlor. Notably, Bobby Gillespie is wearing an MC5T shirt in the tattoo parlor scenes, still paying homage to his earlier musical idols, even if the music has moved in a radically different direction from those early days. And somebody in the band gets a dragon tattoo. So these guys really like drugs. Let's guess what we're saying.

[Lori]

Oh, right, right. Chasing the dragon. I gotcha. So I guess that leads us to the next song, Scott.

[Scott Free]

It does. Track nine, I'm Coming.

I can't Face the.

Okay, so you're kind of starting to see the arc from these song titles. This one, I feel like jumping right into the lyrics, at least for me, does make some kind of sense.

[Lori]

Okay.

[Scott Free]

I've been so high I never wanted to come down I've been so lost I never wanted to be found I'm all hungover with bad dreams As I stumble into messy scenes I'm coming down I can't face the dawn I'm coming down I feel too far gone yeah.

[Lori]

It's a very pained vocal, isn't it?

[Scott Free]

Yeah. He's entered the bad part of the comedown.

[Lori]

So Chris needs the biographer again describes the song as a doleful, hallucinogenic ballad with Kabla's jazzy sax solo and a pained vocal from Bobby. Now, that sax solo at the end, when I first heard it, it reminded me very much of improvisational jazz, I.

[Scott Free]

Gotta tell you, all of the instrumentation stuff you just talked about, especially that sax, and especially all of these with as much reverb as they had reminded me of a Love and Rockets track, particularly from self titled album. I'm not saying that's what they were going for, but you know, there's some, there's some similarities there, maybe a little. It's probably just all the regurbin sax, but whatever. I'll stand by what song. I want to say it's the Teardrop Collector.

[Lori]

Okay. I don't know that one.

[Scott Free]

It's a deep cut from their self titled 1989 album, but I'm standing by it. Fight me.

[Lori]

Yeah, you're probably right. You usually are about these things.

[Scott Free]

I don't know. This is another Weatherall Nicholson produced joint. And yeah.

[Lori]

Well, that brings us to Higher Than the Sun, a Dub Symphony in two parts.

[Scott Free]

SA.

Featuring Ja Wobble.

[Lori]

Yes. Ja Wobble of Public Image Ltd. Who is another band that Bobby Gillespie has really cited as an inspiration.

[Scott Free]

Interesting.

[Lori]

Yeah. As a matter of fact, there's a story that he presents in his memoir. Bobby, not Jaw Wobble. He was on a bus in East London. It was organized by record label on you sound and it was heading to the studio and he says the bus stopped and on walked Jaw Wobble. I shit myself. I couldn't speak. I'd learned to play bass copying this guy. He was a hero to me. Yeah. Now I don't know if that's what led him to appear on this song or not. At one point with this album, especially with like the revolving singers and stuff like that, Bobby had actually said he almost envisioned Primal Scream to be more of like a production outfit rather than a band like Public Image Limited was. I like this one a lot better than the previous Higher Than the Sun version. Yeah.

[Scott Free]

It's curious that this is a essentially remix reimagining of the earlier track, track four, Higher Than the Sun, which as we mentioned was produced by the Orb. This one, however, is produced by Andrew Wetherall and Hugo Nicholson. And it takes it to another level entirely. The title tells you what you're getting into with this one, the dub symphony in two parts thing. The first part is from the opening to about the 33 minute 27 mark. And that first part is very much like the original track four, Higher Than the Sun. And then at 3:29 part two kicks in and it is a dub journey, taking what the Orb did and really dubbing it up real hard. And then at the 4 minute 57 mark the harpsichord kicks in out of nowhere. And then there's that theremin like line that really gets to sting for a while. You know, we're more or less done with Gillespie's vocals in this track. Except for a Higher Than the Sun or three in the final minute of it. It's just a good old fashioned dub reggae freakout, but in thoroughly Orb style electronic form. They're not like trying to be English white guys doing reggae, which can veer into painful UB40 territory. You're taking those production techniques and that aggressive remixing. The delay, the reverb, the spare instrumentation and revisiting earlier parts of the song. Yeah, I will agree. While I like the original version, this one takes you on a even more interesting journey. And I'm all about it. That brings us to track 11. Shine like stars.

I watch you sleep. You look so peaceful. You look so violet. I feel, I feel scared for you. To me preciously your ways. Shine.

Star.

Shine, shine.

All right. So you open with that canned drum machine beat, an almost music box like tinkling keyboard chime. There's these gentle synth sounds. This is basically a lullaby.

[Lori]

As a matter of fact, Bobby Gillespie even called it that.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, the lyrics bear that out. I watch you sleep, you look so peaceful. You look so vulnerable. I feel scared for you. To me you're precious. May you always shine like stars.

[Lori]

Well, you know what this song is about, right?

[Scott Free]

I'm gonna guess Sleeping it off.

[Lori]

Not exactly. Bobby wrote the lyrics about his girlfriend Karen, who was very painfully shy, except when she went out onto the dance floor and lost her inhibitions in the music. That's that. I watch you dance. You look so happy. Lost in a moment of abandon. You're set free. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, this was about his girlfriend. And Andrew Weatherall has called this song his favorite on the album.

[Scott Free]

Really?

[Lori]

Yeah. They did it in two takes. The first one was pretty fast and then the second one slowed it down and stripped it back with only vocals, harmonium and some bells.

[Scott Free]

I was gonna say. Is that a hooter? Fucking love a hooter. Or harmonium.

[Lori]

There's an interesting story though, that happened to this. So Alan McGee Creation Records was not happy with this song and he sent the band back to the studio to remix it. However, when they got there, they discovered that the studio owner had disappeared, taking with him the mixing desk and the band's tapes.

[Scott Free]

Oh, dang.

[Lori]

So they re recorded it at Eden Studios with Martin Duffy on harmonium. And they added some samples of Star Trek noises, Indonesian gamelan music and Indian tabla percussion. And then they brought Andrew Weatherhall into.

[Scott Free]

Mix it right on. I mean, it is a very sweet album. Closer. It is the Drug fueled journey has come to an end. And these intrepid psychonauts or their girlfriends can sleep it off. Dream baby, dream baby dream baby, dream repeated it's sweet in its way.

[Lori]

And it's actually drawn some comparisons to the White Album by the Beatles and the way that it's ending, you know, on kind of a mellow note.

[Scott Free]

Yeah, yeah. Why did album end Good Night. Well, that makes some sense, doesn't it?

[Lori]

Yeah.

[Scott Free]

Well, all right. So that it closes with the sort of down note, or at least good night sort of track as the White Album literally does. It seems like it's as good a time as any to revisit this narrative arc we've been talking about, this drug fueled journey.

[Lori]

Yes. Andrew Perry of a publication called Seven wrote, the whole album is constructed like an ecstasy trip. You've got the initial euphoria of moving on up. Then you've got an incredible psychedelic dance experience for a few tracks. Then you get to the end of Loaded and you get a washed up, chill out, lovely thing for another 25 minutes. It's the ecstasy experience. A little pocket trip.

[Scott Free]

Yeah. I mean, look at those song titles in even more detail. We can skip a couple of them if they don't work perfectly into it. But opening with Moving On Up, Don't Fight It, Feel It. Higher Than the Sun, Inner Flight, Come Together, Loaded, Damaged, I'm Coming Down, Higher Than the Sun, A dub symphony in two parts featuring John Wobble and Shine Like Stars. The lullaby that closes it, you know it is all right there. They set out to take you on a journey and I would say absolutely nailed it. Not that I would know anything about the substances that they are talking about. Don't do drugs, kid. Stay in school. Drugs are bad. You shouldn't do drugs. Okay.

[Lori]

They were touring to support this album. Bobby and Andrew Ennis went to Alan McGee at Creation Records with a Looney Tunes idea. They wanted Creation to rent a cottage where Andrew Innes, who apparently is a qualified chemist, could basically create batches of mdma. And then they could hand out the tabs for free to kids at their concerts.

[Scott Free]

Oh, that seems like a terrible idea.

[Lori]

Yeah. So Alan McGee very wisely said no to that. Yeah, none of these songs charted in America, which is really kind of a shame. That's probably why I didn't know most of these.

[Scott Free]

I could have sworn that Moving on up did.

[Lori]

But no, not at clubs.

[Scott Free]

I guess I was just hearing it at clubs or.

[Lori]

Hang on, I'm looking, I'm looking.

[Scott Free]

No, I'm not disputing. It. I'm making conversation.

[Lori]

Oh, okay. All right. Well, I'm also. What? I guess it's not entirely correct because they did make it to number two on the alternative airplay chart, was moving on up and number 28 on the US mainstream rock chart. So I guess that's not entirely true.

[Scott Free]

It's not charting lie, but count it as charting. Good for you, gal.

[Lori]

They never had an agent or manager representing them in America, which according to Bobby, we've paid for that to this day.

[Scott Free]

That indie spirit can cost you, as it turns out.

[Lori]

Yes, yes. Well, in conclusion, Bobby wrote it was a liberating time. And that's why songs like Don't Fight It, Feel it and Higher Than the Sun capture the utopian spirit of those days in the acid underground. Hedonistic anthems. And they were hedonistic times.

[Scott Free]

Right on.

[Lori]

Yep.

[Scott Free]

It's cool that he is able to articulate that whole creative process and the philosophy or at least the thinking behind it and that we get to actually read that now. It's been great to hear.

[Lori]

Oh, good, good, good.

[Scott Free]

Thanks for doing your research, Laurie.

[Lori]

Yeah, you know you can't keep me away from books.

[Scott Free]

That's true. So as we have started doing, I suppose it's time to do the so Then what Happened segment as we close out. Primal Scream released albums throughout the 90s and 2000s, never to this level of success. And that success was largely, as we've said, across the pond, although their follow up album in 1994, give out but Don't Give up, was such a tonal shift, drawing on and paying homage to their idols, the Rolling Stones. But coming after this electronic dance rock masterpiece of Scream, Adelica, the people were not into it. They released other albums that would draw more on trip hop and doing really whatever they wanted. And they continued to this day. Primal Scream just released an album in November of 2024 called come ahead and are currently touring to support that. Although the dates that I've seen between now and April are almost exclusively in Australia, the UK and Ireland. The other super important figure on Screlica, Andrew Wetherall, I am sorry to report, did pass away in February of 2020 at the age of 56 of a pulmonary embolism. But if I can take some lyrics from moving on up, His Light Shines on, His Light Shines on and Primal Scream, you know, they are still a force, even if under recognized force in the States.

[Lori]

So Scott, what's your favorite track on the album?

[Scott Free]

You know, I am. I'm torn between a few, but I think I do have to give it to Higher Than the Sun, a dub symphony in two parts.

[Lori]

I'm between a couple songs too, but I think that I'm going with, which is the one with the chirping cricket beats.

[Scott Free]

Don't fight it. Feel it.

[Lori]

Yeah, yeah. I think actually, no, you know what? I think I'm gonna go with slip inside this house.

[Scott Free]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Lori]

But don't fight it. Feel it was a close second. And actually that three song arc there on the album, that's all like a really, really strong sequence. So.

[Scott Free]

Okay, so I picked Scream. Adelica, Laurie, what are we doing next episode?

[Lori]

All right, next episode, Scott, we're going to do out of Time by R.E.M.

[Scott Free]

Oh, interesting. One of my favorite bands of the era. Not one of my favorite albums by that band, but I am up for it. I am there for it. Let's do this.

[Lori]

All right, sounds good. So we will be back in two weeks with out of Time. Once again, thanks for listening. Happy 2025. It's a goodbye from me and for me SA.